Now, a federal judge has ruled that the smuggled stone should return to its home country of Brazil. According to Brazilian authorities, the Bahia Emerald is one of the largest emeralds, if not the largest, ever discovered. Court documents say it weighs ...

Many have claimed to be the rightful owner of the 836-pound Bahia emerald, reputed to be the world’s largest, which is worth as much as $1 billion. Their legal battles have endured for so long and ensnared so many participants — including, ultimately, the Federative Republic of Brazil — that people have taken to calling the rock cursed.

The rare Bahia Emerald, which was mined in Brazil in 2001 and smuggled to the U.S., has long been the subject of competing claims of ownership